In a video message posted on Twitter, President Trump urged protesters to “go home in peace.”
“I know your pain, I know your hurt,” he said, alleging the election was “stolen.”
“It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
Trump acknowledged the nation was going through a difficult and unprecedented time but urged caution on how to express their anger.
"It's a very tough period of time, there's never been a time like this, where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us, from me, from you, from our country," he said, adding, “we can’t play into the hands of these people.”
“We have to have peace,” he continued. “So go home. We love you, you’re very special.”
Twitter slapped a warning on the message that read: “This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence.”
The message came after protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers met to certify the Electoral College votes, forcing them to evacuate. As Matt reported earlier, tear gas was deployed, and one person was shot.
The Department of Defense authorized the mobilization of the National Guard and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a 6 p.m. curfew in the city.
Update:
This means that the account of @realDonaldTrump will be locked for 12 hours following the removal of these Tweets. If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 7, 2021